Forest of Secrets
Forest of Secrets is the third book in the Original arc. The cats on the bottom of the cover are Fireheart and GraystripeRevealed on Vicky's Facebook. Dedication :To Shrödi, hunting with StarClan, :and to Abbey Cruden, :who has met the real Fireheart The Blurb :Fire Alone Can Save Our Clan... :Allegiances are shifting among the Clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. :Fireheart is determined to find out the truth about the mysterious death of brave ThunderClan warrior Redtail. But as he searches for answers, he uncovers secrets that some believe would be better left hidden. UK book blurb variation :The warrior cats are hungry, waiting for a thaw in the snow. Tensions run high and friends become enemies overnight. Fireheart is determined to find out the mysteries that lie at the heart of his adopted Clan. But as he searches for answers he discoverers an ugly truth that some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. The Praise :"Hunter adds to the mix a devastating flood, shifting alliances between clans, treachery within and without ThunderClan, and attempted murder - a combination that makes for another dynamic episode sure to please series fans." :::::::::::- Sally Estes, ALA Booklist :"This exciting book is not for the faint of heart as it is often violent. It is reminiscent of Greek drama, with its huge cast of characters (a chart of allegiances is included), intrigues, divided loyalties, star-crossed lovers, and parents murdering their offspring. Fans of the series will lap it up while impatiently awaiting the next entry." :::::::::::- Sharon Rawlins, School Library Journal :"The author deftly balances the major conflicts with descriptions of daily life as a forest-dwelling cat. This third book in the series is as engaging as the first two."Information from dclibrary.org :::::::::::- Horn Book Review :"Hunter moves forward with a sure hand in the third installment of this fast-moving series. The story is suspenseful; the feline characters are engaging."Information from harpercollins.com :::::::::::- Voice of Youth Advocates Detailed Plot Summary : In the prologue, it is snowing. A brown tom, Oakheart, is guiding two kits to the RiverClan camp. They both struggle because of the weather, but one, a she-kit, is having the most trouble. When they arrive to the RiverClan camp they are taken to the nursery. A gray queen named Graypool is seen nursing kits. Oakheart asks Graypool to care for them and she asks where he found them. He responds by saying he found them in the forest. Once Oakheart leaves and Graypool agrees to nurse the kits, she smells them, she can identify the forest scents and the scent of ThunderClan, but doesn't beleive that Oakheart would steal kits from another Clan. : ThunderClan is recovering after the recent battle they had where ThunderClan allied with WindClan to fight against RiverClan and ShadowClan, although they are starving as prey is scarce in leaf-bare. Fireheart's friendship with Graystripe is rekindled. : Fireheart still does not trust Tigerclaw, the fierce, bloodthirsty ThunderClan deputy, and decides to uncover the truth about him. First, he visits Ravenpaw to ask him about the battle at Sunningrocks, and Ravenpaw confirms that Redtail was killed by Tigerclaw, not Oakheart. : In order to be positive that Redtail was killed by the claws of Tigerclaw, Fireheart sneaks over to RiverClan, where the warriors tell that Oakheart's death was an accident, contradicting Tigerclaw's version of the story. Graypool reveals that Stonefur and Mistyfoot, two RiverClan warriors, are not her kits, even though all of RiverClan, Stonefur, and Mistyfoot believe she is. It is revealed to him that Oakheart claimed to find them in the forest, and had asked Graypool to care for them, saying that he couldn't just leave them there. Graypool, however, sniffed them, and sensed that they were ThunderClan kits, and she knew that Oakheart knew this as well. At the time, however, they do not know who the parents of these two kits are. Thinking through what had been revealed to him, Fireheart also suspects that Cinderpaw's accident was the result of a trap set for Bluestar set by Tigerclaw. :Besides continuing his investigations, Fireheart must also carry out his warrior duties, cover for Graystripe, whose affair with Silverstream is in full steam and supervise Brackenpaw's training, put up with his disobedient nephew Cloudkit, and face Tigerclaw's continuous hostility. :Soon, newleaf arrives and the snow starts to melt. The river floods and two of Mistyfoot's kits are taken away by the water, but Fireheart and Graystripe rescue them and take them home. They learn that RiverClan is in trouble, forced to leave their camp and having nothing to eat. The two warriors offer to hunt for RiverClan and take them prey in secret, but they are eventually noticed by Tigerclaw, and Bluestar punishes them, putting an end to their actions. :At the next Gathering, Nightstar announces that ThunderClan is sheltering Brokentail, and this causes an uproar, with ShadowClan and WindClan declaring war on ThunderClan. The next day, they invade the ThunderClan camp, but they are forced to retreat. Allegiances are shifting between the Clans, with WindClan siding with ShadowClan, and ThunderClan siding with RiverClan. :Graystripe continues to meet with Silverstream in secret, and soon he finds out that Silverstream is pregnant with his kits. She begins kitting at Sunningrocks, but something goes wrong. She dies, despite Cinderpaw's efforts to try to save her. However, the two kits survive and are taken in by ThunderClan. The whole of ThunderClan now knows about Graystripe's affair, and they distrust him. RiverClan demand the kits for themselves, and Bluestar promises an answer for later. Bluestar also admits to Fireheart that Mistyfoot and Stonefur are her own kits, and that she decided to give them away to RiverClan so she could become deputy, believing that this was best for ThunderClan. :Cloudpaw is apprenticed to Fireheart. They are on a hunting mission when they notice Tigerclaw leading a band of rogues to attack ThunderClan's camp. Fireheart runs back to the camp, but the rogues arrive before him, and most warriors are away on patrols. During the chaos, Tigerclaw corners Bluestar in her den, trying to kill her, but Fireheart arrives just in time to save his leader and drive Tigerclaw away. A RiverClan patrol arrives and help ThunderClan defeat the rogues. Bluestar is shaken and unable to believe Tigerclaw's mutiny, though she manages to announce his betrayal to the Clan, and Fireheart also reveals what he learned about the Sunningrocks battle. Tigerclaw is exiled and swears revenge. Meanwhile, Yellowfang kills Brokentail by feeding him deathberries. :Bluestar announces Fireheart as the new Clan deputy, although she does this after moonhigh, breaking the Warrior Code. An omen of a piece of fresh-kill turning to crowfood makes Fireheart wonder if it means Bluestar's leadership rotting away. :At the end of the book, Bluestar agrees to surrender Silverstream's kits, and Graystripe decides to join RiverClan; he wants to to be with them and he is not trusted any more in ThunderClan. Fireheart is left heartbroken as he recalls all the adventures that he and Graystripe had been through together, and thinks about how lonely he will be with his best friend gone forever. Fireheart then returns to the ThunderClan camp as their newly appointed Clan deputy, with more responsibility that he had ever hoped for. Trivia *This is the first Warriors book written by Cherith Baldry.The only two book published earlier than Forest of Secrets are Into the Wild and Fire and Ice, which are both written by Kate Cary, as revealed on the dedication page of each book. *Victoria Holmes stated that Forest of Secrets was the book that made her become genuinely attached to the characters and their world.From an interview on writerunboxed.com *It is suspected Fireheart is on the cover,Firestar is on every other cover in the Original Series, so it's assumed he's on this one too. but Fireheart has green eyes, and the cat on the cover has yellow. *It is also said within the book that Sandstorm has pale yellow eyes. Publication History *''Forest of Secrets'' (EN), HarperCollins (hardcover), 14 October 2003 *''Forest of Secrets'' (EN), HarperCollins (paperback), 5 October 2004Information from amazon.com *''Лес секретов'' (RU), OLMA Media Group (hardcover), 19 September 2005, translated by Veronica MaximovaInformation from ru.wikipedia *''Forest of Secrets'' (EN), HarperCollins Children (paperback), 3 April 2006Information from amazon.com *''Bí Mật Trong Rừng'' (VI), Da Nang (unknown binding), December 2006, translated by Huong LanInformation from vinabook.com *''비밀의 숲'' (KR), Kyobo (unknown binding) 31 January 2007, translated by Kim Yi SeonInformation from libro.co.kr *''ファイヤハートの戦い'' (JP), Komine Shoten (hardcover), 19 April 2007, translated by Yukako TakabayashiInformation from Komine Shoten *''Forest of Secrets'' (EN), HarperCollins (e-book), 4 September 2007Information from amazon.com *''Titkok Erdeje'' (HU) Egmont Pannónia (paperback), 2007, translated by Andrea MártonInformation from libri.hu *''Les mystères de la forêt (FR), Pocket Jeunesse (paperback), 6 March 2008, translated by Aude CarlierInformation from Pocket Jeunesse *秘密之森'' (ZH), Morning Star (unknown binding), 1 November 2008, translated by Gao MeiInformation from cn.wikipedia *''Paslapčių miškas'' (LT), Garnelis (unknown binding), 2008, translated by Danguole ŽalytėInformation from garnelis.lt *''ファイヤハートの戦い'' (JP), Komine Shoten (hardcover), 20 February 2009, translated by Yukako TakabayashiInformation from Komine Shoten *''疑云重重'' (ZH), China Children's Publishing (paperback), 1 March 2009, unknown translatorInformation from Xinhua Books *''Geheimnis des Waldes'' (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (hardcover), April 2009, translated by Klaus WeimannInformation from warriorcats.de *''Geheimnis des Waldes'' (DE), Verlagsgruppe Beltz (audiobook), November 2009, translated by Klaus Weimann, narrated by Marlen DiekhoffInformation from beltz.de *''Salaisuuksien metsä'' (FI), Art House (unknown binding), April 2010, translated by Vesa-Matti PaijaInformation from tietosanoma.fi *''Geheimen'' (NL), Fantoom (hardcover), 16 June 2010, translated by Huberte VriesdorpInformation from cosmox.nl *''Hemmelighedernes skov'' (DK), Sohn (hardcover), 20 April 2012, translator unknown Information from http://www.gucca.dk/boeger/krigerkattene-3_188314.html See Also *Allegiances *Character List *Chapter-by-Chapter Notes *Book Cover Gallery *HarperCollins Browse Inside References and Citations Category:Books Category:Forest of Secrets Category:Original Series